Slip stitching machine



June 26, 1951 e. F. PlNSUTl SLIP STITCHING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 19, 1948 INVENTOR n. U 5 m P F e P w m n a Q Q Q mw wh June 26, 1951 G. F. PlNSUTl 2,558,196

SLIP STITCHING MACHINE Filed June 19, 1948 3 Sheets$heet 2 INVENTOR. l Gzuseppeii msqzz A ;TORNEY June 26, 1951 G. F. PINSUTl 2,558,196

SLIP STITCHING MACHINE Filed June 19, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

; 93 jG 'useppe Pz'nsuzf ATTORNEY Patented June 26, 1951 UITED ST SLIP STITCHING MACHINE.

Giuseppe F. Pinsuti, New York, N. Y.

Application June 19, 1948, Serial No. 34,059

22 Claims. 1

This invention relates to stitching machines and particularly to a machine designed to stitch the entire long seam in an article in one opera tion by slip stitching similar to basting.

Machines heretofore attempted for producing such stitching as basting or the slip stitching in necktie seams by pleating or corrugating the work, have not attained commercial success for the reason either that they require the use of excessively long needles which are quite likely to bend or break and hence are a source of trouble and annoyance, or such machines employ dies which unduly stretch the fabric, and distort and twist the work out of its proper shape.

The present invention contemplates the compact pleating or folding of the work along the entire lengths of the edges to be secured together in such a manner that little or no distorting stresses are put thereon, and while the work is retained in its pleated condition, passing a relatively short and adequately supported needle through all of the folds or pleats at one time to make the Slip stitch of any desired length in one operation.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a pair of separable pro-pleated accordion-like nestable members adapted to be readily extended and contracted longitudinally and hinged together to open and close upon the work arranged between the sheets and to pleat the work when the members with the work sandwiched therebetween is pleated, together with means for reciprocating and supporting a needle to force the needle through the pleats in one simple and quick operation.

The various objects of the invention will be clear from the description which follows and from the drawings, in which Fig. l is a top plan view of the machine with an intermediate part thereof broken away and showing the upper pleating member swung back to expose the lower member, both members being stretched flat preparatory to receiving the fiat work such as the tie shown in dash-dot lines.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the machine partly in section showing the pleating members closed and compacted and theneedle passed therethrough.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the needle guiding tube and needle guides.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional View of the upper pleating member in its collapsed or compacted position showing the longitudinal rail for holding down the pleats.

Fig. 5, is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view of the completely collapsed or contracted pleating members and of the fully pleated work sandwiched therebetween preparatory to stitching, the thicknesses of the parts being exaggerated for clarity of illustration.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view, taken on the line t6 of Fig. 1, 0f the means at one end of the machine for holding, manipulating and guiding the pleating members.

Fig. 7 is an end elevational view of the holding, manipulating and guiding means for the pleating members, at the other end of the machine in the closed positions of the members.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 5, of the pleating members incompletely collapsed and showing the holding and locking means for the members.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the pleating members, guides and hold-down rail shown in Figs. 5 to 8 in the open and partly extended positions of the members.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view of the lower pleating member showing one of the guide pins thereof and a typical work-holding clip.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary top plan view of another modified form of the pair of hinged pleating members in an incompletely extended state.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary front elevational view of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 5, of the pleating members of Fig. 10 completely collapsed and with the work sandwiched therebetween.

In the practical embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, each of the preformed pleating members [5 and I6 is formed preferably of a thin composite or laminated sheet of relatively stiff but strong and tough material such as paper or the like of the proper type or paper reinforced if desired with thin plastic or cloth such as buckram and capable of being folded a great number of times without material wear.

4 The thin sheet is creased and temporarily pleated rest flat on the top surface 2| of the table 22 in its extended stretched unfolded or expanded position, while the similarly extended member 16 rests in an inclined but substantially fiat state I against a suitable inclined support as 23, the positions just described being the open positions of the pleating members.

Said members are hinged together at their adjacent edges in any suitable manner as by means of the hinge rings 24 (Fig. 9) each passing through the member H; at or adjacent to a {old line [9 close to the edge 25 of said member and also passing through a fold line H of the member 15 close to the rear edge 26 thereof. It will be noted that in the open or relatively reversed positions of the pleating members 15 and i6 (see Fig. 1) the fold line I! determines the bottom of a valley or trough of a corrugation or pleat, while the fold line I9 of the member [6 though aligned with the line H determines the top or crest of such corrugation because said member l6 has been swung about the rings 24 to a reversed position, turned about 180 from its operative or closed position in which it is superimposed upon the member or on the work resting on said member. It will also be noted that when the member 16 is swung down upon the member l5, the fold lines I? and I9 will register or coincide with each other, both determining the bottom of troughs in the respective members when said members are relieved of the stretching stresses thereon. The fold lines 18 and 28 will also register, both determining crests. On the release of the means which retains them flat and stretched, the members may be collapsed or compacted longitudinally an their pre-formed fold lines by a longitudinal movement of the free ends of the members toward the other ends which are fixed during such movement and held against movement relatively to each other by the interlocking resulting from pleating.

Means are provided for guiding the members I5 and I6 during such collapsing movement to the position shown in Fig. 2 thereby to maintain them tightly interleaved or nested with each other and also interlocked with the work such as the necktie 21 thereby to pleat said necktie. Said means comprises the parallel spaced apart channel guides 28 and 29 secured to the table top 21 and respectively receiving opposite ends of the transversely arranged guide pins 30, which are suitably secured at the fold lines 11 of the member l5. As best seen in Figs. 9 and 10, the pin 30 is forced through the sheet material of the member I5 or through at least one layer thereof so that its middle third is underneath the under surface of the sheet and its end thirds are above the upper surface of the sheet. Stitching as 3| passing around the pin and through the sheet may be employed to prevent excess displacing movement of the pin relatively to the sheet, though such displacement is improbable owing to the arrangement of the member [5 between the channel guides and the insertion of the projecting ends of the pins into the respective channel guides.

It will now be obvious that longitudinal compressive force exerted on the free end of the member l5 causes collapsing folding and pleating of said member along the creases or folds I! and I8 into a plurality of upright folds thereby to shorten said member while incidentally increasing its efiective height by making the panels of the pleats stand on edge. since the member is is secured and hinged to the member l5, collapse of the latter will also collapse the former in the same manner. To insure the proper folding or pleating action, the members [5 and [6 are suitably but separably held in their closed positions shown in Figs. 2, 6 and 8 by suitable handled means enabling the members to be manipulated safely, quickly and easily when they are to be opened, closed, collapsed and extended. Said means comprises the angle bracket 32 fixed to the table top at the right hand end of the member i5 as viewed in Figs. 1, 2 and 8 and having an upstanding flange 33 adapted to enter the groove 34 in the hinged channel 35 terminating in the handle 36. The adjacent end edge portion of the member 18 is inserted intoand secured to a relatively thin channel 3! which is in turn secured to the handled channel 35 pivoted at its rear end to the upright flange 33. The end portion of the member l6 may be readily manipulated by the handle 36 and swung toward and from the member 55 to insert the flange 33 into the hinged channel 35 and to remove it therefrom. The corresponding end 33 of the member I5 is fixed in place to any convenient fixed part such as the table 2| by means of the securing strip 39.

Suitable longitudinally aligned holes 40 are made in the crests of the member l5 symmetrically about the fold lines !8 and corresponding holes 4| in the troughs of the member l6 symmetrically about the line H to permit the needle 42 to pass through said members and the work 2! during the stitching operation. To permit the needle to pass through the channels 35 and 31 and through the flange 33, the parts mentioned are also cut away as best seen in Figs. 6 and 8. If the stitch is not to reach the extreme end part of the work as in the case of neckties, said end part is passed through the cut-away part 43 of the flange 33 and through the slots 44 and 45 on the bracket 32 and in the table top respectively, out Of the way of and below the needle.

At the other or free ends of the members i5 and i6, similar means are provided for manipulating the members. The channel 46 receives the end edge portion 47 of the member it and is secured to the hinged channel 58 terminating in the handle 49 and pivoted at its rear end to the upright flange 59 of the relatively wide and long sliding bracket 5 I. Said flange 58 is adapted to enter the groove of the channel 58, part of the flange being cut and bent around the transverse pin 52 (Fig. 8) to which the end edge part of the member i5 is secured. The edges of the horizontal flange 53 of the slide bracket 5| enter the grooves of the guide channels 28 and 29 to be guided thereby while the middle part of said flange 53 is secured to one leaf 54 of a hinge, the other leaf 55 of the hinge being bent to form a locking member adapted to engage a selected bend of the locking rack 56 when the pleating members are collapsed and to hook over the end edge of the table 22 to maintain the members in their inoperative stretched positions (Fig. 1). The rack is set into a suitable recess in the table 22 to avoid interference with the pleating movement of the parts and maintains the sliding flange 53 in the position wherein compressive pressure on the pleating members and on the work is maintained, as in Fig. 2, until the locking leaf 55 is raised oii the rack.

To hold the pleats and the folds in proper horizontal alignment during the pleating movement, an elongated longitudinally disposed holddown rail 58 is secured at one end as 59 to the hinged channel 35 and at its other end passes through the slot of the hinged channel 48. The depending flange of the hold-down rail rests by gravity on the end portions of the folded pins 62 as best seen in Fig. 4. Said pins are preferably made of fiat wire resting on the outer surface of the member It at the fold lines 29 and held in place by the bends at the ends thereof and the doubled back end portions 63 and 6d pressing against the under surface of the member. The rail 58 loosely and adjustably connects the hinged and handled channels 35 and 48 so that by manipulating the handles 36 and 49 at the same time, the member It may be swung into and out of its closed position. The rail also tends to maintain the channel 48 in the position in which it is set relatively to the channel -35. This is done by bending the flange 65 thereof into a diagonal position to engage forcibly the corner 66 of the slot 60 as best seen in Figs. 6 and 7, friction tending to prevent accidental movement of the channel 38 relatively to the rail.

In the closed or nested position, the rail flange rests on the pins 52 and prevents said pins from lifting out of their proper aligned positions under the compressive force thereon when the pleating members are collapsed. Obviously, the free edge of the member Iii may be slidably connected to the hold-down rail at a number of spaced points to limit relative movement thereof to iongi tudinal movement only. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, a number of spaced wire loops as El are secured to selected pins '52 for this purpose.

Said loops project beyond the pins and encompass the rail. Means are also provided for loosely and detachably holding the work 21 to the member I5 to prevent displacement of the work during the pleating operation. As best seen in Figs. 9 and 10, said means takes the form of a number of spaced apart spring wire clips as 83 passed through the member 15 at selected fold lines I? and held in place by the same wire or thread stitching 3| as holds the pin 3%, the work being inserted under the upwardly curved free front end 69 of the upper leg of the clip. An upstanding pointed pin as IE3 (Figs. 1 and 9) is also preferably secured to the member 55 near each end thereof to engage and prevent lengthi wise displacement of the work relatively to said member.

- It will now be understood that prior to insert' ing and clamping the work 2'! between the pleatable pleating members l5 and 16, said members and flat on the member [5 with the raw edges to be stitched just beyond the holes 49 and flat in the dash-dot line position of Fig. 1 but without stretching. A suitable gage line corresponding to the dash-dot line mentioned may be marked on the upper surface of the member E5 to indicate where the raw edges of the tie are to be placed. The usual wool lining is then placed loosely on the tie with its rear edge II in the dash-dot line position shown in Fig. 1 and overlapping the edges of the tie material. Both tie and lining are pierced and held by the pins 10 and are inserted into the spaced clips 68, care being taken not to stretch either when so inserted. The handles 49 and 36 are then swung down to superimpose the member It on the work,

6 the flanges 58 and 33 entering the respective grooves of the channels 48- and 35 and the holddown rail being carried down on to the pins 62. The pleating operation may now be performed, without danger of distorting or misshaping the work. This is done by removing the locking member 55 from the end edge of the table thereby freeing the pleating members and the workZl from tension, thenmoving the handle 5 toward the handle 35 as far as it will go to form and to compact and compress the pleats in the pleating members and in the edges of the work, the ends of the pins 30 and the slide 5! sliding in the guide channels 28 and 29. The work is maintained compressed by engaging'the locking memoer 55 with the rack 55. All of the pleats will thereby remain horizontally aligned 1 though upright and parallel as indicated in Figs. 1 and 5 ready for the passage of the needle through the aligned holes ii] and 4|.

The needle may be reciprocated by any suitable means manually or mechanically and may be of any suitable type. However, it is important for accurate stitching and for safety thatthe needle be so supported that it does not bend materially while in operation. For this purpose as best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the preferably square tube "56 is secured to the table 22 and has slidably inserted thereinto the spaced sliding springseparators TE and 18 each having a central per foration therein for the passage of the needle. A spring as "i9 surrounds the needle and is interposed between the end of the tube and the separator ll, another spring 8| being arranged between the separators T! and i8 and a third spring between the separator I8 and the slide 82. The needle is suitably secured to the slide 82 to which is also secured one end of the rack 83 slidably supported between suitable guides such as the extensions S l of the side Walls of the tube. A pinion 85 engages the rack and is suitably supported by the bearings 88 on the table, being rotated as by the crank 8?. Obviously, rotation of the pinion in one direction projects the needle continuously through the aligned holes 4!! and M against the action of the springs while rotation in the other direction retracts the needle aided by the springs to the position of Fig. 1.

The needle may be of the type to carry a thread through the work on the advance of the needle therethrough, but in order to avoid stressing the needle excessively, a needle of an easily threaded type such as a hook needle is preferred and is advanced continuously and bare through the work during the pleat piercing stroke. As shown in Fig. 5, the needle is threaded after the work is pierced, whereafter the needle is retracted with the thread held thereby to make the required slip stitch in the pleated work. The thread 88 may be pre-cut to the required length sufficient to remain in the work when the work is extended, expanded or unpleated along the thread, a suitable knot as 89 being made on the far end of the thread in the proper position to hold the stitched work properly. After retraction of the needle, the locking member 55 is released and the members l5 and Hi again stretched to their fiat positions by moving the handle 49 and the slide 5| away from the handle 36 until the end of the locking member 5| drops over the end edge of the table. The handles 49 and 33 are lifted off the bracket flanges to separate the members [5 and I6 and to expose the thus stitched tie, which is then replaced by an unstitched tie and lining ready for the repetition of the operation, 4

It will now be understood that the specific structure of the members and I6, and of the guides and holding devices therefor may be considerably varied and may take a number of different forms. As has been indicated, the sheets may be of composite or sectional form or laminated of a multiplicity of sheets, provided that the similar rectangular pleat sections or panels be thin, of substantially the same size and hinged together to give a minimum thickness with adequate strength and durability. For example, as shown in Figs. 11 to 13, and as best seen in Fig. 12, the relatively thin creased or scored sheet 90 of paper or the like may be reinforced by the even thinner sheet 9| of thin plastic tough enough for the purpose such as cellophane or the like, or by thin cloth such as buckram, permitting the laminated sheets 92 and 93 to be hinged together by the sheet 91 at their adjacent edges without the need for the rings 24. If so hinged together, suitable holes as 94 are preferably made in the connecting sheet 91 to permit the folding of one pleating member on the other and the pleating thereof as a unit without interference by unwanted folds or creases. the pleating members may be reinforced by strips as 95 of thin but relatively rigid plastic, metal or the like, and of slightly less width than each individual panel or pleat section 96 to leave the hinge lines or folds between the sections free to operate. Eyelets as 91 serve to secure such strips to the remainder of the sheet. Instead of cutting holes as and 4] in the sheets for the passage of the needle, suitable slots as 98 may be made in the projecting end portions 99 of the strips for the same purpose. The guide pins 30 may be retained in the same form as previously described.

Or, as shown in Figs. 5 to 9, the hold-down rail may be arranged to engage the projecting ends of the hold-down pins l0! which are secured to the member IS in about the same manner as the pins 30 to the member I5. Said pins IUI may be provided with an intermediate offset or U-shaped portion 102 (Fig. 9) secured to the pleating member as by means of the staples or stitches I03 to prevent longitudinal displacement of the pins.

It will be seen that I have provided a relatively simple and inexpensive apparatus or machine whereby a relatively long slip stitch may be made quickly and easily in one stroke of a suitably supported needle, that the pleating preparatory to the stitching operation is accomplished without stretching, distortion or misshaping the work, because the work is loosely arranged in position for pleating between substantially flat sheets and is equally stressed if at all, on both faces, and that I have provided a means well adapted for commercial purposes and effective for the purposes intended.

Changes other than those already explained are contemplated and may obviously be made in the specific forms of the invention herein disclosed Without departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a slip stitching machine, a pair of similar coextensive pre-creased continuous flexible superimposable and pleatable sheets, means hinging together the corresponding side edges of the sheets, the sheets being extendable to a substantially flat form and means for locking the sheets against longitudinal movement in the pleated form and in the fiat form of the sheets, the locking means comprising a slide secured to Additionally if desired, h

the movable end of the lower sheet and a looking member hinged to the slide and adapted to hook over a fixed part of the machine.

2. The machine of claim 1, means for fixing one end of one sheet in place, means comprising a blade member at each end of one sheet and a channel at each end of the other sheet receiving the corresponding blade member for removably securing corresponding ends of the respective sheets together and means for guiding the edges of the sheets when the other end of said one sheet is moved toward the fixed end.

3. The machine of claim 1, each of the sheets having pre-formed parallel transversely arranged fold lines therein one set of alternate fold lines in each sheet being creased in one direction and the other set of alternate fold lines in each sheet being creased in the opposite direction whereby said sheets become pleated on the relative movement of the ends thereof toward each other.

4. The machine of claim 3, manually operable interengageable members secured transversely to the respective corresponding ends of the sheets to collapse and extend the sheets as a unit and to swing one of the sheets toward and from the other sheet to superimpose and to separate said sheets only when said sheets are in their flat state.

5. In a slip stitching machine, a first elongated and transversely flexible thin continuous sheet divided along predetermined equidistant transverse parallel fold lines creased alternately in opposite directions into a series of consecutively arranged substantially rectangular and similar panels there being aligned openings in the respective panels extending from alternate fold lines more than half way across each adjacent panel, one end of the sheet being fixed and the other end being free and movable toward the fixed end to pleat the sheet, means including transverse pins piercing the sheet and extending therebeyond and fixed guide channels of lesser height than that of the pleated sheets receiving the ends of the pins, for guiding the edges of the sheet during the movement of said free end, a second sheet similar to and coextensive with said first sheet and hinged thereto along a longitudinal side edge thereof said second sheet having aligned openings therein extending from the other alternate fold lines more than half way across each adjacent panel, and means comprising separable interengaging members for removably fixing the corresponding ends of the sheets to each other in superimposed relation with the corresponding fold lines of the sheets registering with each other with the openings of the respective sheets in substantial alignment.

6. The machine of claim 5, hook means fixed .to one sheet for locking the sheets in the completely pleated positions and in the unpleated positions thereof, the openings in said sheets permitting the unobstructed passage of a needle through the pleats thereof when the sheets are pleated.

'7. The machine of claim 5, the distance between the fold lines and the thicknesses and the initial fiat state of the sheets being such that when the sheets are pleated and interleaved with a textile article therebetween, the heights of the pleats in the article and in the sheets are equal, and the overall'length of each of the pleated sheets is a minor fraction of the length of the extended unpleated sheet.

8. In a pleating and slip stitching machine, a first continuous paper or the like sheet having a first set of transverse creases directed toward one face of the sheet and a second set of transverse creases alternating with the creases of the first set and directed toward the other face of the sheet, a table under and supporting the first sheet, means securing one end edge of the first sheet to the table, an upstanding plate-like member adjacent said means, a slide plate having an upstanding flange at the other end edge of the first sheet, a locking hook hinged to the plate, a second continuous paper or the like sheet having transverse creases therein corresponding to the creases of the first sheet, said second sheet being coextensive with the first sheet, transverse pins each piercing the first sheet at two spaced points of one set of creases and extending beyond the side edges of the first sheet, the end portions of the pins being on one side of the sheet and the midportion of the pins being on the other side of the sheet, a pair of transversely spaced side guide channels secured to the table in position slida-bly to receive the end portions of the pins and the edge portions of the slide plate, a hinge pivotally connecting adjacent longitudinal side edges of the first and second sheets, and means for securing the second sheet in superimposed relation to the first sheet and for manipulating the second sheet comprising a pair of handled channels one at each end edge of the second sheet and arranged in pivotal alignment with and to receive frictionally the upstanding fiange of the slide plate and the plate-like member respectively, a hook hinged to the slide plate, and a rack secured to the table in predetermined longitudinal spaced relation to the sheet securing means and in the path of the hook.

9. In a pleating and slip stitching machine, a pair of flexible continuous unpleated sheets each having transverse creases thereacross directed toward oneface of the sheet and alternating with similar creases directed toward the opposite face of the sheet, and means for supportin each of the sheets in position to superimpose one sheet on the other in substantially coplanar relation comprising a hinge pivotally connecting the corresponding side edge portions of the sheets, means for detachably connecting the respective end portions of one sheet to the corresponding end portions of the other sheet, means for fixing one end portion of said other sheet against movement, and means for removably locking the other end portion of said other sheet in the stretched position of said other sheet and thereby temporarily maintaining each of the sheets in a continuous substantially plane surface except for the creases thereof.

10. In a pleating and slip stitching machine, a pair of fiexible continuous unpleated sheets each having transverse creases thereacross directed toward one face of the sheet and alternating with similar creases directed toward the opposite face of the sheet, means for supporting each of the sheets in position to superimpose one sheet on the other in coplanar relation including means for stretching each of the sheets into a continuous plane surface except for the creases thereof and transverse pins across the sheets at selected creases thereof each piercing the sheet at two points of the crease and projecting beyond the sheet.

11. The machine of claim 9 and means for compacting the sheets simultaneously with a textile article therebetween from a coplanar to a pleated position to raise alternate parts of the sheets and the article simultaneously after the 10 locking means have been unlocked and to depress the other alternate parts of the sheets and the article simultaneously thereby to pleat both sheets as well as the article at the same time without stress on the article other than bending.

12. In a pleating and slip stitching machine, a pleatable support comprising a continuous sheet of tough thin flexible material resisting repeated folding on itself and having precreased parallel transverse fold lines therein, adjacent lines being creased toward opposite faces of the sheet to raise part of the sheet into a crest and to lower the remainder of the sheet into a valley when the sheet is contracted longitudinally, an upper sheet similar to the support and adapted to fit thereinto when folded and correspondingly creased and coextensive therewith, a hinge connection between adjacent longitudinal edges of the sheets, means for maintaining the sheets in a tensioned state to flatten the sheets and the creases thereof whereby the sheets become substantially coplanar when the upper sheet is superimposed on the support sheet, said means comprising a hook adapted to engage and thereby to be removably secured to a fixed object, said hook being carried by the movable end of the lower support sheet, spaced apart parallel guide members carried by and movable with the support sheet at the respective creases thereof and projecting beyond the longitudinal edges thereof, and spaced apart fixed guide channels of lesser height than that of the sheets when the sheets are pleated at the creases thereof, said channels slidably receiving the respective ends of the guide member the pleated sheets extending above the tops of the channels.

13. In a slip stitching machine, a pair of superimposable pleatable sheets each having a series of longitudinally aligned openings therein, the openings of both series being in substantial alignment when the sheets are pleated and superimposed, a needle arranged longitudinally of the sheets and adjacent thereto and means supporting the needle against bending and for longitudinal reciprocation in longitudinal alignment with and into and out of the openings comprising a tube surrounding the needle, a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart spacers slidable within the tube, a compressible spring in the tube on each side of each spacer and a needle-holding member slidable within the tube, there being openings in the spacers for the passage of the needle therethrough.

14. The machine of claim- 13, the sheets being initially precreased flat and coplanar, pins secured transversely of the lower sheet and extending beyond the side edges thereof, fixed longitudinal guides beyond the side edges of the lower sheet parallel to said edges and receiving the ends of the pins, and means fixing one end of the lower sheet relatively to the guides, the sheets being collapsible longitudinally as a unit at the creases thereof.

15. The machine of claim 14, a hinged locking hook secured to the movable end of the lower sheet, and a rack fixed in the path of the locking hook and engageable thereby.

16. In a slip stitching and pleating machine, a

precreased sheet having one end portion movable longitudinally toward the other end portion, a second similar sheet hinged to the first mentioned sheet along the side edges of the sheets for superimposition on the first sheet, a needle arranged longitudinally of and between the side edges of the sheetsin position to reciprocate through an article held between the sheets, means for guiding the superimposed sheets during the movement of said one end portion, transverse pins car ried by the second sheet and extending therepast, a handled channel at each end of the second sheet, an upstanding member fixed at each end of the first mentioned sheet and entering the adjacent handled channel when the sheets are superimposed, and a hold-down rail passing through the channels and engaging selected pins.

17. In a pleating and slip stitching machine, a sheet having two sets of transverse creases therein directed toward opposite faces of the sheet respectively, the creases of one set alternating with the creases of the other set, a second similar sheet of the same size, means hinging adjacent side edges of the sheets together, and means looking the superimposed sheets in a selected one of two positions, one position being a stretched position wherein the sheets are substantially coplanar and the other being a compacted pleated position.

18. The machine of claim 17, and spaced parallel transverse stiffening strips secured to each sheet and having alignable notches therein for the passage of a needle therethrough in the compacted pleated position of the sheets.

19. In a pleating and slip stitching machine, a first continuous flexible sheet having a first set of transverse creases directed toward one face of the sheet and a second set of transverse creases alternating with the creases of the first set and directed toward the other face of the sheet to form transverse panels in the sheet, a table under and supporting the first sheet, means fixedly securing one end edge of the first sheet to the table, the other end of the first sheet being movable longitudinally, a second continuous flexible sheet having transverse creases therein corresponding to the creases of the first sheet and forming similar panels therein, said second sheet being coextensive with the first sheet, means hinging the sheets together at the corresponding side edges thereof, the first sheet having a series of aligned openings therein between the side edges and at alternate creases thereof, the second sheet having a similar set of aligned openings therein alignaole with the openings of the first sheet when the second sheet is swung about the hinging means and superimposed on the first sheet, the openings of one set alternating with the openings of the other set, each of the openings extending from a crease part-way across each of the adjacent panels and bein open at the crease end thereof and closed at the other end thereof, means removably securing the corresponding end edge portions of the sheets to each other in the superimposed positions of the sheets and a movable locking member carried by the movable end of the first sheet, and a fixed locking member on the table cooperating with the movable locking member to lock the sheets in the compressed pleated positions thereof.

20. In a pleating and slip stitching machine, a first continuous flexible sheet having a first set of transverse creases directed toward one face of the sheet and a second set of transverse creases alternating with the creases of the first set and directed toward the other face of the sheet to form transverse panels in the sheet, a table under and supporting the first sheet, means fixedly securing one end edge of the first sheet to the table, the other end of the first sheet being movable longitudinally, a second continuous fiexible sheet having transverse creases therein corresponding to the creases of the first sheet and forming similar panels therein, said second sheet being coextensive with the first sheet, means hinging the sheets together at the corresponding side edges thereof, the first sheet having a series of aligned openings therein between the side edges and at alternate creases thereof, the second sheet having a similar set of aligned openings therein alignable with the openings of the first sheet when the second sheet is swung about the hinging means and superimposed on the first sheet, the openings of one set alternating with the openings of the other set, each of the openings extending from a crease part-way across each of the adjacent panels and being open at the crease end thereof and closed at the other end thereof, the openings being in substantial alignment when the sheets are superimposed and pleated, a fixed rack member in the path of the movable end of the first sheet, and means carried by said movable end for engaging the memher and adjustably locking the sheets and an article between the sheets in the pleated positions thereof.

21. In a pleating and slip stitching machine, a pair of flexible continuous sheets each having creases thereacross directed toward one face oi the sheet and alternating with similar creases directed toward the opposite face of the sheet, each of the sheets having a series of openings therein extending from the first mentioned creases part-way toward the second mentioned adjacent creases, the openings in each sheet being aligned with each other and substantially aligned with the openings of the other sheet when the sheets are superimposed and pleated at the creases, means hinging the corresponding side edges of the sheets together, means for removably locking the corresponding end portions of the sheets together and means fixing only one end of the lower sheet in place to permit the other corresponding locked ends of the sheets to be moved as a unit toward said one fixed end of the lower sheet thereby to pleat the sheets and an article arranged therebetween.

22. The pleating and slip stitching machine of claim 21 and means for locking the locked movable ends of the sheets in an extended substantially fiat position of the sheets and in the compacted pleated position thereof, preparatory to the passage of a needle through the openings and through the article.

GIUSEPPE F. PINSUTI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 664,721 Castleman Dec. 25, 1900 664,722 Castleman Dec. 25, 1900 1,970,786 Weisbaum- Aug. 21, 1934 2,383,654 Johnson et a1 Aug. 28, 1945 

